The Incident with the Interloper
by 554Laura
Summary: Set between seasons 3 and 4. Booth's Army buddy visits and takes an interest in Brennan, much to Booth's dismay. Of course I don't own Bones...
1. Chapter 1 Jamie

Booth and Brennan were sitting in Booth's office, bickering as usual about their latest case.

Brennan sat with her arms crossed over her chest and glared at Booth. "You can't say with certainty that Glenn Landon is the actual murderer, Booth. You're making assumptions based on generalizations that can't be proven by the information we've gathered as evidence."

Booth rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, exasperated because he knew Brennan was correct, but he wasn't willing to give up yet. "English, Bones. You're saying we don't have enough facts, right? But I don't know what else we need. We have the weapon, motive, opportunity, statements from people who heard him say he'd kill the guy…" Booth thumbed through the file, pulling out papers to show her.

"However, you don't have any actual physical evidence, Booth. Nothing ties Landon forensically to the scene of the crime. Your whole case is circumstantial. I thought you wanted me to help you get convictions. There are too many questions to be answered with this case before you turn it over to the prosecutor."

"What? This is a good, solid case." Booth slammed the file on his desk,and pointed his finger at Brennan. "I think you're just irritated that I did a lot of this without your help, right? Maybe you're worried that I don't need a forensic anthropologist after all."

Brennan smirked at him. "Yes, you did a lot of the work, which is why there are still so many questions. You need me because you need more forensic evidence to obtain the results you desire. You like getting convictions, remember?"

Booth was sputtering a response when they heard a knock on the door. "Is this a private party, or can anybody come?" The doorway was filled with a tall, handsome man dressed in Army fatigues.

"Jamie? Man, what are you doing here? Bones, this is an old Army buddy of mine, Jamie McAlister. Jamie, this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan."

Jamie smiled as he took a few seconds to appreciate Brennan's appearance. "She's your partner? Wow, Seeley...you're doing a lot better than the last time I saw you. Very, very nice to meet you, Dr. Brennan. You're definitely the prettiest doctor I've ever met." Brennan smiled back as Jamie shook her hand. A flicker of annoyance ran across Booth's face.

Booth cleared his throat. "Jamie, what are you doing here in DC? Last I heard you were in Oklahoma. Ft. Sill, right?"

"Yeah, well...I needed a break from the Okies, so I thought I'd come bug you for a couple of days. Got any room on your couch for a poor, lonely soldier to crash?"

After a very slight hesitation, Booth said, "Sure...an Army buddy is always welcome in my house."

Jamie smiled and winked at Brennan. "So does she get to crash on the couch, too? That might make my visit even better."

Booth was not amused. "Watch it, Jamie. Be respectful. Dr. Brennan is a highly respected forensic anthropologist. We solve murders together for the FBI." He glanced at Brennan, noticing that she was watching Jamie closely.

"So that's all you do together?" Jamie saw the flash of anger on Booth's face and backed off. "Sorry. No offense. Here's my number. Text me when you get home." He turned toward Brennan with a wolfish smile. "I hope to see you again very soon, Dr. Brennan. Good-bye."

"I'm looking forward to that, Corporal McAlister." Brennan fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Just Jamie, please...no need to be formal among friends, right?", he said with a chuckle. The flirting was obvious.

"Jamie….", Brennan said sweetly. "Yes, I'd enjoy seeing you again. Good-bye."

"See you later, Jamie." Booth practically pushed Jamie out the door. "Okay, let's get back to work. We need to get this information ready for Caroline. She's becoming impatient."

Brennan was obviously impressed by their visitor. "Jamie seems very nice, and he's quite attractive."

"What? Jamie's attractive? Nah….now about the evidence…." Booth was anxious to change the subject. He wasn't sure how he felt about Bones being attracted to Jamie.

"Yes, he's very handsome." Brennan grinned as she explained. "His facial features are symmetrical, he has excellent muscle mass and definition, and his shoulder to hip ratio is exceptional. I think I'd like to get to know him better."

Booth sighed, realizing he had a big problem on his hands, and it had nothing to do with the Landon case.


	2. Chapter 2 Buddies

Booth had almost instantly regretted his decision to let Jamie stay at his apartment, but he understood the unwritten military code: nobody gets left behind, and nobody gets turned away. An Army buddy asking for a place to stay would get to stay as long as he needed, even if it was an irritation.

Booth and Jamie sat in the living room of Booth's apartment enjoying a freshly baked frozen pizza while the television played a hockey game in the background. "Sorry about the lack of fine cuisine, Jamie, but we do have plenty of fine Canadian beer."

"No problem, Booth. I appreciate it. Beats MREs any day." Jamie took a drink of beer and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Nice place you got here. I guess the FBI's been good for you."

"Thanks. Yeah...can't complain about the FBI too much. Not a bad gig to get right out of the Army." Booth leaned back in his chair, eying Jamie suspiciously. " Okay….the truth. Why didn't you make sergeant?"

Jamie laughed, picking at his pizza. "I told our new Second Louie to eat shit and die, and he took exception to that for some reason. Kinda puts a damper on promotion, you know? I was able to stay in the Army because I've had computer training but I'm stuck at corporal for the duration. I'm getting out in six months."

"Are you AWOL?"

"Of course not. I'm on leave and wanted to see DC. Not much to look at in Lawton, Oklahoma, and I got no more family. I decided to come see my best old Army buddy Booth so I can check out the area." Jamie grinned slyly. "Speaking of checking it out...What I really want to talk about is your lady doctor partner. I never saw a doctor look so good. Damn, I'd like her to play Doctor with me….." He took another drink of beer. "Man, she's gorgeous, Booth. I mean, God...those big blue eyes...that beautiful face...that porcelain skin." Jamie sighed and cupped his hands in front of his chest. "And those nice boobs….and I bet she's got a cute little ass on top of those mile long legs, right, Booth?"

Booth did know that Bones had a cute ass, but he was definitely not going to tell Jamie that, especially since that would've indicated that he'd been looking. "Can it, Jamie. I don't want you to talk about my partner that way. She's a well respected scientist and best-selling author. Be a gentleman, okay?"

"Well respected, huh? So do you think she'd be up for a night on the town with yours truly? That is, if she's not really your girlfriend…..don't wanna step on your toes."

Booth's mind was scrambling, trying to think of a way to discourage Jamie without appearing to be a jealous lover. "She's not my girlfriend. You'll just have to ask her if she wants to go out with you. I will tell you that she's not really too much of a party animal. She's a genius, you know? So normal conversations can be really difficult with her. She uses lots of big, weird words, she'll spout off lots of obscure facts, and she's a know-it-all. She doesn't know anything about sports or movies, or normal stuff. All she talks about is dead bodies and bones and crap like that. It can make for a really boring conversation. She's actually no fun at all."

Jamie grinned and lifted an eyebrow. "If I have my way, we may not be conversing a lot. I can think of a lot of activities we can indulge in where we don't have to say a word….lots and lots of activities….activities that might last all night long…." He sighed happily thinking of the prospect. "And then after we go at it like horny animals, maybe I can get an autograph." Jamie chuckled as he thought about asking Dr. Brennan to sign a book for him after several go rounds in bed.

"Jamie…" Booth gave him a warning glance, which was ignored.

"Give me her number, and I'll call her to see if she's interested. Seriously, Seeley, I can't believe you're not plowing that field. Did Father Aldo put you on the fast track for celibacy and the priesthood? Man, if I had a chance to see her everyday at work, I'd already be in those pants…."

Booth had reached the boiling point. This had to stop. "Enough, Jamie. Bones is my partner, nothing more. And you need to be respectful, remember?"

Jamie chuckled again. "You call her Bones….Is that because you wanna jump her bones? Come on...I know you must think about that….not that I'd blame you. That body is something else…" He saw the warning glare on Booth's face this time. "Okay, okay. Be respectful. Got it." Stretching, Jamie yawned loudly. "I'm beat. I'm gonna get ready to hit the hay, alright?"

Booth nodded. "Sure. Here's the stuff for the couch and some towels. Make yourself at home. I'll talk to you in the morning."

Booth lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to sleep. He knew Jamie was right….he had thought a lot about Bones being beautiful, and it made him uncomfortable that someone might suspect how he felt about her. It also annoyed him to no end that Jamie wanted to go out with Bones just to have sex with her. Booth knew what he had to do. He had to rid himself of that jackass, and soon.


	3. Chapter 3 breakfast

Jamie was still snoring on the couch when Booth left his apartment early the next morning. Booth hoped to get to the lab before Jamie called Bones about a date. He wanted to warn her about Jamie's less than honorable intentions so she could turn him down. Booth had convinced himself he was only looking out for Bones' best interests.

Booth checked Bones' office, and not finding her there, walked out to the lab platform. She was up to her elbows in a corpse. The contrast between her beauty and the ugliness of her work was always fascinating to him. He watched her work for a few minutes before interrupting her.

"Mornin', Bones. It's a little early to be digging around in a dead body, isn't it? It's only 8 am."

"Booth! Why are you here at the lab so early? Do we have a case?"

"Not a new one. I wanted to check on the progress in the Landon case."

Brennan removed her gloves and came down the platform steps. "Cam wants to check some injuries on the victim's flesh again before we clean the bones and there are still tests Dr. Hodgins need to run on the particulates he's collected. I'm sorry I don't have more information for you. You should've called me before you made the trip over here."

Booth shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "I also thought I'd see if you wanted some breakfast. Jamie was still sleeping when I left, and I didn't want to wake him up with my cooking."

Brennan smiled. "I believe I could eat some breakfast. Good idea, Booth."

"I really don't know how you can eat breakfast after digging around in that body, but if you're hungry, let's go."

They took their seats at their usual table in the diner. "I'm glad one of your old friends came see you, Booth. You don't talk a lot about your Army buddies."

"I don't know if we were exactly friends. We did basic training together and were stationed together until I decided to join the Rangers. Jamie was into tech stuff so he was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri before Ft. Sill. I haven't seen him for several years."

Brennan took a sip of her tea. "Jamie seems very nice. He called me last night and we talked for quite a while. He wanted to see if I'd show him the sights of DC."

"That bastard!", Booth thought. He spluttered a second before he gained his composure. "Look, don't feel obligated to go out with him just because he's one of my Army buddies. I know you don't often like to go out on weekday evenings."

"It's no problem, Booth. I'm glad to help one of your friends. He told me what he wants to see while he's here, and I've planned an itinerary. One thing he mentioned is to see the Lincoln Memorial at night, and he wants to walk around the reflecting pool. He's got some other ideas about what he wants to see."

"I bet he does.", Booth said under his breath. "Hey, maybe I could come with you while you give him the tour. It might be fun, you know, the three of us out for a night on the town. I like the Lincoln Memorial at night myself."

Brennan frowned slightly. "That's not necessary, Booth. I know my way around the DC environs. Besides, why would I want to you to go with me on my date with another man?"

"I know you know your way around, Bones, but there's something you might need to know about Jamie. Most of the sightseeing he wants to do doesn't involve monuments." Booth paused, deciding the straightforward approach was best. "Basically he's just looking for an excuse to get you into bed with him."

She smirked. "I know."

"You know?"

"Of course. When he visited your office yesterday he spent most of his time staring at my breasts. He licked his lips several times, his breathing rate accelerated, and his pupils dilated. All of these things indicate that he finds me sexually attractive, so I assume he wants to have sex on our date."

Booth was aghast, especially considering how many times he had sneaked a peek at her breasts himself. "So you're going out with him even if you know all he wants is sex?"

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"No reason….just curiosity. Do what you want to do. I just thought you'd rather have a good dinner and some conversation."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Jamie and I can have dinner, conversation, sightseeing and sex all in the same evening. I'll do exactly what I want, Booth. Jamie's a very attractive man, and I think sex with him would be enjoyable. Anyway, it's just sex. And it could be that he decides he doesn't want to have sex with me after all."

"News flash, Bones." Booth was clearly irritated. "Jamie's all about having sex with you, and there's no way he'll decide anything different. But like I said, do what you want."

"I will, Booth."

"Fine." Booth went back to his eggs.

"Fine." Brennan went back to her fruit. "I'll do exactly what I want."

Booth sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I know you will."


	4. Chapter 4 Trouble

Booth was in his office, trying to clear his desk for the day. It seemed there was a never ending stream of paperwork to process in addition to the case files that had to be finalized before they could be sent to the Department of Justice. It didn't help that he was having a hard time concentrating. Booth had been thinking about the last 24 hours, trying to figure things out.

It was weird that Jamie would just show up at his office door. He hadn't seen Jamie for years, and they had never been that friendly, even at Basic. In addition to being a womanizer, Jamie could be a real jerk, and he wasn't entirely trustworthy. Booth was surprised Jamie had lasted in the Army as long as he had, especially considering the reputation Jamie had for possessing a quick and ugly temper.

Of course, part of the distraction might have been Jamie's interest in Bones. The idea that Jamie wanted a strictly sexual relationship with Bones was making Booth feel quite irritable, even though he knew he didn't really have the right to feel that way….and he wasn't even sure why he felt that way. Bones was his partner, nothing more, right? And surely she'd use that big brain of hers to figure out that she didn't need to get involved with Jamie….

Booth's musings were interrupted by knock on the door. "Special Agent Seeley Booth?" Two MPs stood at the entrance to his office. "I'm Sergeant Brown, and this is Corporal Butler. Do you have a moment, sir? We need to speak with you about James McAlister."

Booth groaned inwardly. "James McAlister? Why? What about him?"

Sgt. Brown was stern. "He's a wanted fugitive. The Army has reason to believe he may try to contact you. Have you heard from him, sir?"

"Contact me? How did you make the connection between him and me?"

"We've checked his recent internet activity. He booked travel from Oklahoma City to Washington, DC for earlier this week. We've also checked military databases for those who served with him in the past that presently live in the DC area. Your name came up….you're the only one, sir."

"It's possible he could be visiting family or non-military friends, isn't it?"

"Based on what we know of McAlister, that's highly unlikely, sir. He has no living family members, and it appears all of his friends are military or ex-military."

Shit. "To be honest, Sgt. Brown, he did contact me here at my office yesterday, and he stayed at my apartment last night. I asked him if he was AWOL, and he denied it. I wouldn't knowingly harbor a fugitive, Sergeant."

"We're aware of your record both in the Army and with the FBI. You aren't under suspicion, Agent Booth. McAlister is an accomplished liar, and you had no reason to doubt him. He told you he was on leave?"

"Yes, Sergeant, from Ft. Sill."

"I see." Sgt. Brown glanced at Cpl. Butler, who handed Booth a file. "McAlister was being transferred from the stockade at Ft. Sill to the federal penitentiary at Ft. Leavenworth when he escaped and eluded recapture. As you know, he's quite adept at using technology. He used a library computer in a small town outside of Oklahoma City to locate you in the military databases. Because he didn't have any credit cards in his possession he hacked into the computer system at Ft. Sill and wrote himself some leave papers so he wouldn't be tracked as an AWOL. He booked a flight using a stolen credit card number. He was able to present himself as a soldier on leave, so people were willing to assist him with transportation and meals." Sgt. Brown looked at Booth to make sure he understood. Booth nodded. People liked to assist military personnel as a show of support for the armed forces.

"However, he wasn't able to completely cover his tracks and our computer technicians traced him as far as DC. He needed a place to stay until the heat died down and he could get to New York City and then out of the country. That's why he found you, Agent Booth. He's trying to drop out of sight."

"That son of a bitch used me," Booth thought. "He played me like a goddamn piano. I should've known…" Booth rubbed the back of his neck, trying to maintain his composure. "So McAlister did all of this just to go AWOL? That's crazy."

Sgt Brown was grim as he shook his head. "No, sir. McAlister wasn't in the stockade for being AWOL. If you'll refer to the file, sir….."

Booth looked at the top page. "Christ…."

"James McAlister was convicted in a court martial of first degree murder. He was angry at his commanding officer for refusing a leave request, so he bludgeoned the officer with the butt end of a rifle. He was sentenced to 30 years at Leavenworth. Agent Booth, do you have any idea where he might be at this time? He should be regarded as dangerous…."

"I think so." Booth was feeling sick….Bones was probably with Jamie right now. What if she made him angry? He glanced at his watch. 6 o'clock. He called Bones, hoping she would answer….that she wouldn't ignore him, thinking that he was meddling in her business again. "Come on, Bones...pick up…. please pick up…."


	5. Chapter 5 news

Brennan's date with Jamie was off to a good start. They'd enjoyed a nice dinner and a few drinks at the Founding Fathers, along with some surprisingly pleasant and intelligent conversation. Jamie entertained her with some stories about Booth when they were at Basic Training together. Nothing too embarrassing...just some of the pranks they'd played on each other. Brennan thought It was interesting to hear someone else talk about Booth as a young man since he rarely talked about that himself. Brennan and Jamie laughed and talked until finally it was time for the next portion of the evening's agenda. "Please excuse me, Jamie...I need to go freshen up a bit, and then we can continue with our tour."

Jamie watched her walk away and let out a low whistle. "Booth's partner is definitely a tasty morsel", he thought. The turquoise sweater she was wearing enhanced her eye color as well as her curves. Her curves...Jamie really appreciated those curves. Grinning wickedly, he thought about how upset his old buddy Booth would be when he stole that beautiful doctor partner out from under him. "Maybe I'll hang around a few more days….she'd be totally worth it.", Jamie said to himself. "That'd burn Booth good….He thinks he's such goddamn saint in the FBI...Mr. Big Shot Special Agent….but I'd have something he wants really bad…and he'd sure feel like hell when he found out." Jamie smiled pleasantly as Brennan walked back to the table. "Ready to go, Dr. Brennan? Let me help you with your jacket."

It was dusk and Brennan was happily strolling with a handsome man among America's monuments. In fact, the whole evening had been perfect….except Booth kept trying to call her. She'd let her phone go to voicemail at least 5 times and was becoming increasingly exasperated. This time he'd gone too far. "Booth needs to mind his own business. I'm a grown woman. I can do what I want," she thought as she and Jamie stopped at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Her phone rang again. BOOTH. Brennan sighed and shrugged apologetically at Jamie. "I probably should answer this or he'll just keep calling. He can be quite persistent."

"Seeley's probably worried about me making moves on his girlfriend." Jamie put his arm around Brennan, smiling, trying to pull her close to him as she answered her phone. "Tell him to get lost, Babe. We don't need any help from him, right?"

She smiled back as she answered her phone. "Brennan."

"Bones... Don't argue, just listen. Are you with Jamie?"

Brennan was surprised at the intensity in Booth's voice. "Yes, we're at the Lincoln Memorial."

"Jamie is a wanted fugitive….murder one. The MPs are in my office now. They say he's dangerous."

Brennan's stomach lurched. "Really? That's news to me." She stepped away from Jamie's grasp as he tried to kiss her.

"We're about 10 minutes out. Listen, I need you to keep him occupied until we get there, okay? But be careful. Don't provoke him."

"I'm not sure about that, Booth."

"You're a genius, Bones. Use your imagination. We're on the way." Booth hung up.

"Yes, it's quite romantic here, and we're enjoying it. No, you can't join us, Booth. We don't need your help. No, enough…stop calling me. Mind your own business. We want to be left alone, Booth. Good-bye!" She hung up and gave Jamie a coy smile. "You're right", she giggled. "Booth's jealous. He's an alpha male, and he thinks I'm his property. However, I disagree. I do what I want." Brennan put her arms around Jamie's neck. "I think we should give him something to be jealous about, don't you, Jamie?" She kissed him passionately.

Jamie responded just as she hoped. "Oh yeah….definitely." He embraced her and kissed her passionately in return.

Booth, the MPs and a pair of Metro police officers arrived in less than 10 minutes. They walked toward the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and saw several couples embracing, but one couple in particular caught Booth's eye. Bones and Jamie were sitting on the steps, continuing to embrace and kiss each other passionately. They were so involved they scarcely seemed to notice the group of people approaching them.

"Military police. James McAlister, you're under arrest."

"What the hell…." Jamie pushed Bones away and tried to run, but she tripped him. He tried to get up to run again, only to have her knee him in the crotch. He was doubled over in pain, panting and groaning, as the MPs handcuffed him and took him to a waiting squad car.

Booth had watched in amazement as his partner subdued the fugitive. "Good job stopping him, but what's up with kissing the suspect, Bones?"

She gave him a sly grin. "You told me to keep him occupied, didn't you?

Booth shook his head. He wasn't impressed. "Seriously? By kissing him?"

"Of course. Given how interested he was in having sex with me, it seemed an obvious way to draw attention to myself and away from you. I think I was successful, don't you?"

"I guess." He frowned slightly. "I'm sorry about Jamie. I know you were attracted to him, Bones. I should've told you he wasn't as nice as he seemed."

Brennan grimaced slightly and sighed. "It's not your fault, Booth. It could be that you are correct when you say I have poor taste in men."

Booth decided to change the subject. "Hey, I don't have to fill out any paperwork on the arrest, and the night's still young. Why don't we finish the tour you had planned?"

"Perhaps." Brennan looped her arm through his. "There are a few things I want to ask you about. Jamie told me some stories about you at Basic Training…boots nailed to the floor, and the shower incident…"

"Nope. We're not going to go there. No way."

"Should we talk about the Landon case instead? We still need more forensic evidence."

"No...that case is solid. I've already sent it on to Caroline." Booth and Brennan started to walk away from the Memorial.

"Booth, she'll just send it right back….it's not ready."

"It's fine...you know it is...you're just worried about not getting to go out into the field because I won't need you anymore."

"That's not true, Booth….You know you need my help to keep your conviction rate up."

"Not true, Bones….cops solve crimes, not squints."

"I'll remember that next time you want me to examine some remains…."

"Fine…."

"Now, about the shower incident…."

"No way, Bones. We're not discussing that…."

They walked away, arm in arm, bickering as usual, and all was right in their world again.

THE END….THANKS FOR READING.


End file.
